Some Indian-Americans have formed a political action committee (PAC) in support of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, calling him the “best hope for America”.
Indian-Americans for Trump 2016, as the committee is titled, was registered with the country’s Federal Election Commission on January 21.
“This is only the first step. We are on the side of Trump for this election,” AD Amar, a professor at New Jersey’s Seton Hall University who is heading the panel, told PTI.
It was not immediately clear what kind of support the committee was expecting to generate for Trump, whose boycott of the Republican debate scheduled for Thursday is dominating headlines.
Trump, who is self-funding his campaign, has been extremely critical of PACs that other candidates tend to use to supplement their campaigns with outside support and funds.
The Indian-Americans for Trump PAC said in a statement: “On realising that the agenda of Donald J Trump for President 2016 is focused on reviving the American economy, rightly bringing America on the world stage, defeating terrorism and establishing peace through strength; many Indian-Americans believe that he is the best hope for America and the right candidate to be the next president of the United States.”
It added, “The officers of the Indian-Americans for Trump 2016 urge all Americans to join in the effort and support Donald Trump in his endeavour to make America great again by electing him the next President of the USA.”
{{/usCountry}}It added, “The officers of the Indian-Americans for Trump 2016 urge all Americans to join in the effort and support Donald Trump in his endeavour to make America great again by electing him the next President of the USA.”
{{/usCountry}}Indian-Americans have historically voted Democratic, but many of them have gravitated towards the Republican party in recent years, attracted mostly by its tax-less fiscal conservatism.
The only two Indian Americans ever elected governors — Bobby Jindal in Louisiana (he is now out of office) and Nikki Haley in South Carolina — are Republicans.
And, Hindu Indian-Americans in the party recently started Republican Hindu Coalition, a group modelled on the powerful Republican Jewish Coalition, to raise funds and bolster their clout.